Many communities and businesses across the country are beginning to reopen and adjust to a different way of operating. From physical distancing to wearing a mask and more closely monitoring your health – we are all getting used to a new way of working, shopping and living.

To further support our communities and associates during this time, our Kroger Health team has administered more than 60,000 COVID-19 tests at 64 locations in 13 states. Just last week in Dallas, our team created a walk-up testing model to ensure the more vulnerable in our communities also have access to testing. We are scaling this walk-up model to other locations to provide easier and more convenient access to testing.

I’m so proud of our associates and how they have continued to adapt and work hard to keep our customers and each other safe. This week, Forbes ranked Kroger as one of the top 10 U.S. employers for our response in meeting the challenges of the pandemic. Thank you to our associates and customers for working together to create a safer environment for everyone.

What’s equally inspiring is how our associates bring our Purpose to life and help our communities have a healthier and brighter future. Through our Zero Hunger | Zero Waste plan, we have donated 1 billion meals! This means we surpassed our three-year goal, and we are well on our way to achieve our goal of 3 billion meals by 2025. If you would like to help, please consider rounding up your purchase the next time you shop to support The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation’s Emergency COVID-19 Response Fund. Your donation will help create communities free of hunger and waste during the pandemic. And a huge thank you to all who have already contributed.

Lastly, this is a season to congratulate all graduates. Education has always been important to me. I’m the first person in my family to graduate from college. To help make that possible, I joined Kroger in 1978 as a part-time stock clerk to help pay my way through school. I invite you to watch my commencement speech to the Class of 2020 to hear an uplifting word. Congrats grads!

Thank you for shopping with us, and for being a loyal customer.

Sincerely,

Rodney McMullen Chairman and CEO

May 22, 2020

May 8, 2020

Each day, I’m inspired by the work of our associates and how they continue to bring Our Purpose to Feed the Human Spirit to life.

This week, we’re proud to share that through our partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, we’re expanding our free drive-thru COVID-19 testing to 50 locations across 12 states. By the end of May, Kroger Health will perform 100,000 tests.

We continue to be mindful of providing a safe environment when you shop in our stores while also offering alternative ways to shop through our low-contact pickup service and a no-contact delivery option. And we’re now accepting SNAP EBT payments for our pickup service across the country.

For added convenience, we’re automatically combining your unused March and April fuel points, and now they won’t expire until May 31. That way, they’ll be ready for you – when you’re ready to use them. Lastly, we’re waiving the check-cashing fee for stimulus checks.

It’s an honor to serve you every day, and I’m incredibly grateful for the more than 460,000 associates who work so hard to provide the best shopping experience – no matter how you choose to shop.

Thank you for shopping with us, and for being a loyal customer.

Sincerely,

Rodney McMullen Chairman and CEO

April 24, 2020

Our top priority is the safety of our associates and customers. And now, more than ever, it’s important to take care of yourself. It can be easy to forget to do this when you’re busy and managing home life and workplace responsibilities, but nothing is more important than your health and safety.

Although it feels different because we aren’t used to it, I remind myself to keep the proper physical distance when I’m in our stores and around other people. I also wear a mask when I’m in our stores, and I encourage you to do so as well. We’ve provided masks for all of our store associates to wear, and starting this Sunday, we’ll be requiring our associates to wear them, in locations where they’re not already mandated. Our associates are also welcome to bring their own suitable masks or facial coverings to work, if they prefer.

We recognize that some associates, due to medical reasons or circumstances, may not be able to wear a mask. We’re sourcing face shields to provide for those associates, and we’ll also explore other potential options as needed.

We’ve learned and continue to learn a lot while keeping our stores open to serve our customers during the pandemic. Earlier this week, we published the first installment of Sharing What We've Learned: A Blueprint for Businesses, a resource guide to help other companies – both big and small – create their plans to reopen safely. This tool provides our recommendations, learnings and downloadable materials. Learn more at KrogerBlueprint.com.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, I don’t think any of us knew what to expect or how long it would last. I am so incredibly proud of how our associates have approached each challenge with strength, flexibility and compassion.

Some customers ask what we are doing to keep our associates safe and to help flatten the curve. You should know we are limiting the number of people in our stores to allow for proper physical distancing, ensuring proper cleaning procedures are followed, encouraging our associates to wear personal protective equipment like masks, providing associates with easy access to mental health services, and continuing to expand pickup and delivery services and contactless payment solutions like Scan, Bag, Go and Kroger Pay. And, we’ve reduced our store operating hours and installed plexiglass partitions at check lanes for added protection.

Additionally, we will begin accepting SNAP/EBT card payments for our pickup service, further reducing the number of customers entering our stores. Be well, be safe and be kind to each other.

Our associates – from the ones behind the scenes like technology, supply chain and manufacturing experts to the amazing, dedicated store teams – are working around the clock to provide you with access to fresh, affordable food and products. Thanks to everyone who has shared an uplifting story with me about our helpful associates.

As an essential business, we are also taking additional steps to help keep our customers and associates safe to flatten the curve. For example, earlier this week we announced that we are limiting the number of people in our stores at a time by up to 50% to allow for greater physical distancing.

When you shop with us, we ask that you consider a few small things to help you get in and out of the store more quickly. Shop responsibly, make a list and only purchase what you need. And when possible, shop alone or go to [banner.com] to schedule a pickup or delivery order.

At The Kroger Co., we like to start each day with an uplift. And my uplift today is everything our more than 460,000 associates are doing to demonstrate our Purpose to Feed the Human Spirit.

I want to thank you - our customer - for the appreciation you have shown to our associates...and for shopping responsibly and purchasing only what you need, doing your part to protect yourself and others by practicing physical distancing and healthy habits in our stores, using pickup and delivery services, and most importantly, remembering t hat we are all in this together.

At The Kroger Co., our customers are like family. And like you, during these last few weeks we’ve been focused on doing all the things we need to do to keep our families safe and healthy.

As America’s grocer, we’re here for our customers and communities when they need us most, with open stores and openhearted hospitality.

We believe that everyone deserves to have access to fresh, affordable food and essentials, especially in times of uncertainty. That’s why our teams are working so hard to keep our stores clean, open and stocked. That’s why we took the precautionary step on March 2 to limit the number of cold, flu and sanitary products per order...so everyone can have access to the items they need. And that’s why our supply chain teams are working to ensure that the food, medicine and cleaning supplies our customers need are reaching our stores as quickly as possible and are available through our pickup, delivery and ship services.

We activated our preparedness plan several weeks ago, and we continue to monitor the rapidly evolving situation. We’re following guidance from federal, state and local agencies, including the CDC and other health organizations.

Here are the steps we’re taking to protect our customers and associates:

In everything we do, we’re guided by our values and our Purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit. We strive to make decisions that balance the safety of our associates with our commitments to our customers and communities. And above all else, we’ll be there for our communities when they need us most.